Talking about resumes

How do you prepare a great resume? SharkTalent has been working together with specialists to make sure all the important aspects of your resume are addressed by the SharkTalent CV Generator. It’s up to you to complete those important parts in your cockpit, under “Manage my Profile and Video(s)”. In this area, you can add your personal information, experience, specific projects, etc. The tips and tricks given below might be useful to you in creating a great resume.

Tips Resume

TIP 1 - Summary

The first few lines in your resume are crucial, to grab the reader’s full attention. This can be compelling for the employer/recruiter. You should do this by starting your resume with a summary. Use bullet points instead of full sentences. The key is to bring out your most relevant and impressive qualifications from throughout your career, and highlight them so that they can be appreciated at a glance.

Tip 2 - Key Strengths

In the summary (Tip 1) you focus mainly on your achievements and qualifications. What about your behavioral and social skills – the so-called “soft skills”? Words and phrases like: collaborative, focused, analytical skills, communicative, creative, persuasive, technical, people person, etc. Use bullet points instead of full sentences and come up with five key strengths. Do you find it difficult to come up with the right word or phrase to describe your behavioral and social skills? Check out the internet and search on “behavioral skill list” or “social skill list”.

Tip 3 - Short

Keep your resume length to 1-2 pages. If you’re still in the early years of your career, limit yourself to one page. The descriptions of your most recent and most relevant positions should be the longest and appear first.

Tip 4 - Achievements

Focus on your achievements, not on your generic job responsibilities. Many resumes simply list the duties that anyone would have performed in the role. This will not set you apart from the competition. You must communicate what you did to excel in the role and add value.

Tip 5 - Specific

Be as specific as possible. If you talk about achievements, projects etc. briefly describe the project and the result. For instance the percentage improvement, money saved, etc.

Tip 6 - Feedback

Ask trusted friends and contacts for feedback on your resume. Sometimes a friend, with a little healthy distance, will be able to spot weaknesses that you can’t.

Tip 7 - Spelling and grammar check

It may seem obvious, but spelling and grammar are critical. Such errors, though small, have a disproportionately negative impact on the perception of the reader. Ask a detail-oriented friend to help you proofread it, and/or use a spelling and grammar checker.

Tip 8 - People

Resumes are important, but remember: employers don’t hire resumes, they hire people! Employers want to know what you are like as a person. A written resume doesn’t communicate that, but a Video Pitch does. So check out the Video Pitch Tutorials on how to present yourself most effectively.